This invention relates to the cooking of ribbons of pasta carried through a tank of hot water by a conveyor system having a zigzag travel path therethrough. More particularly, the invention makes it possible to convey two or more pasta ribbons in superimposed relation through the hot water without the pasta ribbons sticking together.
The commercial cooking of fresh pasta products often involves a conveyor system which carries the pasta product through a tank of hot or boiling water along a submerged zigzag travel path. Two types of such conveyor systems have been developed.
One type involves a stack of closely spaced, parallel conveyors wherein the top run of the continuous belts of adjacent conveyors travel in opposite directions. Such a conveyor system is shown in FIG. 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 2,905,105 to Lombi.
The other type of conveyor system utilizes a pair of continuous belts which are held with a uniform spacing between them during their zigzag travel through the hot water. An improved form of such a conveyor system is disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,217 to D'Alterio.
A principal object of this invention is to increase the production capacity of zigzag conveyors used in cooking pasta products.
Another important object is to achieve the increased production capacity with relatively small equipment additions.
Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description which follows.